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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — a publisher
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. press — to push
  6. rest — what's left
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. press — newspapers
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rest — what's left
  14. board — a committee
  15. chip — to eat
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to bend
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. chip — for betting
  21. lean — thin
  22. shower — rain
  23. rest — a break
  24. dip — to sink

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com